Alec's POV.
Damnit Alec, is that the best you could say?
I refrained from bumping my head with my palm in embarrassment.
Standing right before me was Samantha, clutching her books to her chest like she was in high school, but this time, she was different.
Her brunette hair was parked in a tight bun and her eyes gleam from behind her glasses.
She had on her pink top and lord help me I could see her bosoms peeking out from the top.
I couldn't look away.
"Well," she said eyeballing me. "Are you going to invite me in or are we doing our tutoring right here on your porch"
"Hmm," I said leaning against the door "there are a lot of things one can do right here on the patio"
"Ugh, you disgust me"
She pushed past me as I stepped aside.
She paused after a few steps, probably taking in the view.
I smirk.
"Like what you see Sam?" I gave her a light pat on the top of her head and walked ahead.
"It's Samantha to you, sir"
I chuckled.
We climbed a few stairs and I kept glancing back to be sure she was still following. And each time I did she would stop in her tracks and stare at me.
She followed me into my room, and the way she froze in the doorway nearly made me laugh out loud.
Her gaze darted everywhere, the unmade bed, the hockey gear dumped in the corner, the posters on the wall, like she'd just stepped into a lion's den instead of a room
"Here?" she asked, eyes narrowing.
"Yeah, here," I said casually, kicking aside a stray hoodie. "What's wrong, princess? Afraid I'll bite?"
Her lips pressed into a thin line, and for a split second, I had the insane urge to see what she'd do if I really did lean in closer.
Before I could dig myself into that hole, I gestured toward the small table by the window. "Relax. We're sitting over there. Don't worry, your virtue is safe."
The tension in her shoulders melted just enough for me to notice. She let out a tiny breath, one she probably didn't even realize she was holding. And of course that smile tugged at my mouth again.
"You are impossible" she muttered, brushing past me to drop her books on the table.
"Impossible?" I spread my arms in the air "Come on, Sam, admit it. You missed me"
Her glare was sharp enough to slice me into tiny pieces.
"It's Samantha. And no. Not even a little."
I dragged a chair back, dropping into it with A lazy sprawl.
"Okay," she said, tugging a strand of hair behind her ear, and for some reason that my insides got hot.
This was Samantha Hayes, the same girl I used to call four eyes in school. The same one I used to shove pencils off her desk just to see her huff. The girl who once hated me so much she threatened to report me for harassment.
And now, she's sitting across from me, all changed and I can't take my eyes off her. If I could go back to high school I would do things the right way.
"Let's start with chemistry," she said, looking at me.
"The one between us or?" I said gesturing between both of us.
She rolled her eyes.
"Organic chemistry" she hits the large textbook on the table with a force that sends papers flying.
Feisty.
She cracked open the textbook like she was about to conduct surgery. Pages whispered under her fingers as she flipped to some chapter that already made my head hurt.
"Okay," she said briskly, sliding a notebook my way, "let's start with molecular structures."
I leaned forward, deliberately close enough for her to notice, resting my chin on my hand. "Molecular structures, huh? You gonna draw me a heart?"
Her pen froze for half a second before she shot me a look that could've curdled milk. "No. A hydrocarbon chain. Try to keep up."
"Chains, hearts. Same thing," I said, stretching back in my chair. "Both break eventually."
She smacked her palm lightly against the page. "Focus, Alec."
I watched her. She pushed her glasses higher up the bridge of her nose and bent over like I didn't exist.
I swallowed hard, because underneath the jokes and the remarks. I did need to focus.
My dad's voice echoed in my head as the words from the textbook danced before me.
You screw this up, Alec, and hockey is gone. No more team, no more scouts. You're done.
My grades were low and if I didn't get them up, he was going to cut away all sources of funding and no hockey for me. No hockey, no dream.
I needed her.
"Here," Samantha said, sliding the notebook toward me again. "Draw methane. Carbon in the middle. Four hydrogens. It's literally the easiest thing you'll do today."
I picked up the pen, twirling it between my fingers. Easy. Sure. Except my mind blanked the second the tip touched the paper.
Don't screw this up, Bannister.
I tried sketching the structure, but somewhere along the way, I added an extra line. Then another. When I glanced back at her, she was staring at the mess I'd made like she couldn't decide if she should laugh or strangle me.
Her voice softened, almost, not quite. "That's… not even close."
For a second, heat crawled up my neck. My pride faltered every muscle in me wanting to snap back with some joke before she noticed my discomfort.
But it was too late.
"It's okay," she said "let's go over that again"
Which made my discomfort ease away a little.
We continued for the next hour, going over structures and naming and finally, she smacked the pen on the textbook.
"We are all done!" She said.
"Finally" I exhaled, "I thought we were going to finish the whole textbook for a second there"
"Haha, very funny"
In seconds she already packed up her things, stacked up her books, and stood to leave.
"Leaving already?" I asked, standing to my feet.
She remained silent. Swaying her hips as she walked.
I followed her all the way to the porch and just as she was about to step out, I grabbed her arm and spun her around.
"No goodbye, Sam?" I asked, "Is that how you treat your students?"
Before she could comprehend my next move, I leaned in and wrapped my arms around her. Feeling the heat from her soft luscious body even through the books between us.
For a second I could have sworn I caught a glint of red crawling up her face, then it disappeared as suddenly as it came.
"Stop that, banister!" she snapped.
She pulled back violently brushing my hand away.
And walked hurriedly down the steps.
"Goodbye, Sam! See you next time" I called out
"You are unbelievable!" She yelled back.
I leaned against the door and watched till she walked out the gate.
I sighed, running a hand through my hair.
"Damn it, Hayes… of all the people in the world, why does it have to be you?"